Home insurance in Texas

Coastal homes: wind and hail through TWIA

If you live on the Texas coast or in Harris County near Galveston Bay, your home policy might not cover wind and hail damage. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) sells wind and hail coverage there through local agents.

TWIA covers the 14 first-tier coastal counties (Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Willacy) and, in Harris County, only properties east of Highway 146 inside the city limits of La Porte, Morgan's Point, Pasadena, Seabrook or Shoreacres. To qualify, you generally need to have been turned down for wind and hail coverage by a company writing it in the area, and your home needs a windstorm certificate (WPI-8) showing it was built to code. Some newer homes in flood zones must also carry flood insurance.

Can't find a policy? The Texas FAIR Plan

The Texas FAIR Plan Association sells basic home insurance to people who can't find a Texas-licensed company to insure them and have been turned down by at least two companies. It's a safety net, usually with narrower coverage.

Flood is separate

Most home policies don't cover flood damage. You can buy flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private insurer. NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start, so don't wait for a storm forecast. Many Texas counties with no coastline have had multiple federal flood disasters; check your county page.

Your rights when you file a claim

The Texas Department of Insurance says your company must:

• Tell you it got your claim within 15 days.
• Accept or deny your claim within 15 business days of getting all the information it needs.
• Send payment within 5 business days after agreeing to pay.
• For TWIA claims: tell you within 60 days whether it will accept or deny.

Cancellation and nonrenewal

A company must give you 10 days' notice before cancelling, and 60 days' notice of a nonrenewal. Once a policy has been in force for 60 days, the company can cancel only for specific reasons, such as nonpayment, fraud, or a newly increased hazard within your control. In the first 60 days it has more room to cancel.

Wind and hail deductibles

Many Texas policies have a separate deductible for wind and hail, often set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat amount. On a large home, a small percentage can mean thousands of dollars. Check yours before storm season. Hail is a regular claim in much of inland Texas; see our Lubbock County insurance guide, Randall County insurance guide and Williamson County insurance guide for local storm history.

Texas deadlines most guides leave out

The 15-day, 15-business-day and 5-business-day claim deadlines have exceptions worth knowing. If an insurer needs more time to decide, it must tell you why within the 15 business days, then decide within 45 days. After a weather-related catastrophe or major natural disaster defined by the commissioner, every deadline gets 15 more days. Surplus lines insurers get 30 business days to acknowledge a claim and 20 business days to pay (Insurance Code Chapter 542).

If a liable insurer misses these deadlines, it owes interest on the claim and attorney's fees. Before suing over a weather-related claim, you generally must give 61 days' written notice under Chapter 542A.

New Texas rules for 2025 and 2026

• Right to appraisal: residential property policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 must include an appraisal clause for disputes over the amount of a loss (Chapter 1813).
• Written reasons: for applications and policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, an insurer that declines, cancels or nonrenews must state the precise reason and the source of its information (Sections 551.002 and 551.109).
• No forced bundling: since September 1, 2025, an insurer can't require you to buy auto coverage from it to get or keep a home policy (Section 551.254).
• TWIA payments: for TWIA policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, policyholders can't use third-party premium finance; TWIA offers its own installment plans.

Choosing coverage for a Texas home

Start with the dwelling limit: TDI says most insurers require coverage of at least 80% of replacement cost, some 100%, and that replacement cost coverage is what fully protects you. Then look at the roof, because TDI warns that companies may switch older roofs to actual cash value at renewal. Finally, check the endorsements Texas homes often need: foundation or slab coverage, sewer and drain backup, and code upgrade coverage.

Additional living expenses are usually 10% to 20% of the dwelling limit, according to TDI. If a hurricane or hail repair could take months, ask whether that's enough.

Reasons Texas insurers can't use against you

• A call asking about coverage that doesn't become a claim (Section 551.113).
• A claim that wasn't paid or payable under your policy, when counting claims toward nonrenewal (Section 551.107).
• Weather claims, when counting toward the three-claims-in-three-years nonrenewal rule (Section 551.107).
• Your credit score alone, or race, color, religion or national origin.

Coastal homes can need three policies

In the 14 first-tier coastal counties and the TWIA-eligible parts of Harris County (east of Highway 146 in five named cities), a complete setup is often a home policy that excludes wind and hail, a TWIA or private wind policy, and a flood policy. TWIA requires a declination from an authorized insurer, a windstorm certificate of compliance in most cases, and flood coverage for V-zone homes built or altered on or after September 1, 2009.

Each policy has its own deductible, claim process and deadlines. TWIA claims must be filed within one year of the damage, TWIA has 60 days to accept or deny, and disputes go through TWIA's own appraisal and notice process rather than Chapter 542A.

Contractors, deductibles and public adjusters

Texas makes it a crime for a contractor paid from insurance proceeds to waive or rebate your deductible (Business and Commerce Code Section 27.02), and your insurer can ask for proof you paid it. If you want help with a claim, a public adjuster must be TDI-licensed and can't charge more than 10% of the settlement. A contractor can't act as a public adjuster on a home it's repairing.